The present invention relates generally to a support arrangement for supporting an object above ground level and more particularly to a support arrangement which reduces hazards for motorists when used to support objects along a roadside, e.g., mailboxes, signs, markers, etc. The support arrangement includes an above-ground portion rigidly connected to an in-ground portion by a frangible connector assembly. In applications where the above-ground portion includes a generally horizontally extending portion for supporting an object in a cantilevered manner, the horizontally extending portion is formed as part of a moveable portion connected to a generally vertically extending fixed portion by a rotatable connector assembly.
There are problems with positioning any structure close to an edge of a roadway. Suburban and rural areas most often have mail delivered to roadside mailboxes which are supported such that the vehicle from which the mail is delivered can simply stop in front of the mailbox where the driver can reach out, open the mailbox and deliver the mail. Signs for advertising including signs for real estate are typically positioned close to the edge of a roadway to attract the attention of passersby. One problem created by mailboxes and signs is the lack of sufficient clearance for graders to reshape and grade the roads and for snowplows to clear the roadways of snow and ice. A more significant problem is the injury that may occur to passengers and damage to vehicles which hit an object and/or the support for the object when the vehicles deviate from the roadway e.g., when they leave the roadway to avoid hitting children, animals, other vehicles, etc. An important problem for property owners is the damage to a roadside support and object which may result due to the exposure to plows, vehicles, vandals, etc.
Owners of mailboxes and signs along a roadside typically are less concerned about the hazard their mailbox and/or sign and the support therefor creates for others and since it is not uncommon for a plow or an errant vehicle to hit a roadside mailbox or sign, owners frequently erect supports which are extremely strong and, accordingly, extremely hazardous. The approach taken by many 14 mailbox and/or sign owners is to space the main vertical support away from the edge of the roadway and include an arm extending horizontally toward the roadway with the mailbox or sign mounted thereon. This approach permits a plow to clear a roadway all the 18 way to the edge and yet have a mailbox positioned where the driver of a mail delivery vehicle can reach out and deliver mail to the mailbox and a sign positioned where it is clearly visible to passersby. In these arrangements the vertical support is frequently constructed in a manner providing inordinate strength and the horizontally extending portion can present hazards to the passengers of the vehicle by penetrating the windshield or side windows of the vehicle in an accident. The problem of penetrating the side windows is a result of constructing the support arrangement such that the horizontally extending arm can rotate 360 degrees around the fixed portion of the support.
To date there are no universal standards for support arrangements along rural and suburban roadways. Reports verify that mailboxes and their supports are frequently constructed in a manner which are hazardous upon impact to a vehicle and its passengers and it was noted during the development of the instant invention that many roadside signs present hazards to vehicles and their passengers similar to those created by most mailboxes and their supports. Even though federal standards were set years ago for light posts and sign posts along interstate highways, there are still no federal standards for supports for mailboxes along roadways in urban and rural areas. Each state has authority to mandate support requirements for signs along state highways but in many areas there are no regulations or standards. There is a Task Force for Roadside Safety of the Standing Committee on Highways Subcommittee on Design which has been working on standards for erecting mailboxes on highways and a guide has been published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials which outlines many of the problems and hazards of existing roadside mailbox supports. Until the instant invention there was no single answer to the question of reducing roadside hazards.
Prior inventions have attempted to reduce hazards created by roadside mailboxes for passengers and vehicles using a roadway. An example of a repositionable support is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,293. There have also been various approaches to providing a mailbox support which will permit the mailbox to swing out of the way if struck by a plow. Examples of such supports are found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,870,262; 3,881,650; 4,113,213; 4,130,239; and 4,955,533. An example of a support which permits a sign to swing out of the way and return to its original position is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 3,229,940. Examples of support arrangements designed to absorb energy and/or break away are depicted in U.S. Pat. No. : 4,286,747; 4,759,161; and 4,852,847. These prior art patents along with others found during a novelty search will be listed on a PTO Form 1449 which will be forwarded in accordance with the duty disclose.
Accordingly, it is of major concern that millions of mailboxes and signs along rural roads and suburban streets and highways throughout the United States present roadside hazards to motorists. The effort currently underway by the above noted Task Force is to minimize injuries to occupants of motor vehicles which impact roadside mailboxes by establishing standards for mailbox supports. The instant invention is believed to answer the need and set the standards.
There is a market, then, for support arrangements, and particularly for support arrangements which are effective for mailboxes, which are capable of permitting the mailbox to swing out of the way of a vehicle impacting thereon, and which will bend and break when struck by a vehicle such that passengers in the vehicle are not imperiled, especially if such a device is simple in construction and easy to use.